Hobey Baker Award to be presented Friday

Apr 6, 2007 - 8:01 PM
ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- Ryan Duncan of North Dakota will not win
an NCAA Hockey championship. But he can still claim the Hobey
Baker Award, which is given to college hockey's best player.

The award will be announced on Friday night at the site of the
Frozen Four.

Duncan, Air Force forward Eric Ehn and Notre Dame goaltender
David Brown are the finalists for the honor.

Duncan and North Dakota fell to Boston College, 6-4, in the
semifinals of the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday at Scottrade
Center.

A 21-year-old sophomore, Duncan has recorded 31 goals and 26
assists in 42 games for North Dakota this season. Named the
Western Collegiate Hockey Association Player of the Year after
leading the conference in points, goals, power-play tallies and
game-winners, he is second in the nation in goals and fourth in
points.

The 5-8, 155-pound Duncan also is second in the country with 17
power-play tallies. He is looking to follow Tony Hrkac (1987)
as the only members of the Fighting Sioux to win the Hobey Baker
Award.

Ehn, 23, is second in the nation in assists (40) and points (64)
in 40 games. The junior led the Atlantic Hockey Association in
goals, assists and points, a category in which he set a
conference record.

The AHA Player of the Year, Ehn helped lead the Falcons to their
first NCAA tournament appearance this season. He won an
impressive 63 percent of his faceoffs and is the first service
academy player to be named one of the three finalists for the
Hobey Baker Award.

A 22-year-old senior, Brown posted a 30-6-3 record with a
nation-leading 1.58 goals-against average and .931 save
percentage in 39 contests this campaign.

An eighth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2004, Brown
guided the Fighting Irish to the Central Collegiate Hockey
Association regular-season championship and playoff title - both
firsts in school history.

The CCHA Player of the Year, Brown also helped Notre Dame to its
first NCAA tournament victory. He leaves the Fighting Irish as
the school's all-time leader in GAA (2.32), save percentage
(.916) and shutouts (12), while placing second with 55
victories.